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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486331">Just Keep Swimming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaStories/pseuds/LunaStories'>LunaStories</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spideypool Mertsum au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Bonding, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aquariums, Awkward Flirting, Courting Rituals, Cute, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Insecure Peter Parker, Insecure Wade Wilson, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Meet-Ugly, MerMay, MerMay 2020, Mercenary Wade Wilson, Mertsum courting, Mertsums, Mutual Pining, Peter Parker is a Mess, Pining, Pool!tsum, Protective Wade Wilson, Shy Spidey, Soul Bond, SoulTsums, Spidey!tsum, Sugar Daddy Wade Wilson, Tsum Tsums, Tsum au, Wade Wilson Takes Care of Peter Parker, low key - Freeform, not explicit in the story but, so many wet innuendos, tsumtsums, tsundere spidey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:02:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaStories/pseuds/LunaStories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter never thought he'd find another person with a soultsum as unique as his, but when he runs into a heavily scarred man with a purse full of water and an enthusiastic mertsum, his world becomes a little bigger. As Wade and Peter try to convince their mertsums to get along, they grow closer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker/Wade Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spideypool Mertsum au [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Isn't it Bromantic - Mermay 2020, Isn't it Bromantic?</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Keep Swimming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey ya'll!! This is my creation for the Mermay 2020 challenge on the Spideypool server "Isn't it Bromantic" :) I literally wrote this in one sitting because I really wanted to post something for Mermay but didn't have time haha.</p><p>I would like to thank Yami for bringing my attention to the existence of mertsums. I knew tsums were a thing in fics (very rarely) but I didn't think mertsums were a possibility. I was honestly shook and it's practically my brand now to do weird aus so here we are xD</p><p>A million thanks to my betas <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Y_ellow/pseuds/Y_ellow">Y_ellow</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nix3994">Nix</a>, and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualbarry">Emi</a> who checked this really quirky fic over! </p><p>Also this fic wouldn't have been made if <a href="https://twitter.com/FandomLosertown">K-Nyne</a> didn't make the most adorable fucking art of Peter and Wade's mertsums. I was so shook when I saw it seriously the art is so cute!! You can check out the art <a href="https://twitter.com/FandomLosertown/status/1260001701332910083?s=20">on Twitter</a> but I'll also be including it in the fic! We also have one or two more arts coming so feel free to check back in later to see them :) </p><p>And as always, thank you to Dragon for staying up with me and helping me whenever I struggle with posting x'D </p><p>Please note: This is canon divergence but with soultsums. So yes, Wade is a mercenary in this but it's sort of in the background. And Peter is not Spiderman (yet).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The thing about soultsums was that, to Peter, they had always been a potential friend. A companion. </p><p>Sure, it was probably pretty weird to think of them like that, as they were literally the physical manifestation of your soul, but it made him feel a little less alone.</p><p>When he was a kid, he would see people cuddling with their soultsums. He would see them perched snug and content on their human’s shoulders, watching every interaction with vigilant eyes as if they were guardian angels. It had made Peter envious, and he had wished his hardest that he could grow up faster so that his soultsum would manifest for him. </p><p>Nobody knows why, but soultsums appear out of thin air anywhere from ages 8 to 14. During that time, a child could go to sleep, and wake up the next day with a soultsum that looked exactly like them nestled next to their head. They were always the same pill shape, about the size of a hand and unerringly a stylized copy of their human. Peter had turned eight without much fanfare, but to him it was one step closer to having his forever companion, a soultsum to call his own. </p><p>He waited, and the years passed. Eight turned to nine, nine turned to ten, and when he had reached the edge of thirteen years old with still no tsum in sight, he had wondered if maybe he was broken. That maybe Flash was right all along and Peter was so disgusting that his soultsum would never manifest. </p><p>His bully had gotten his soultsum, one that looked just as mean as him, at the tender age of eight. Peter had envied him for it, but had clung to the hope that he would have his own soon. He hoped that his tsum would like him, that they would be friends. </p><p>Then, the night before his fourteenth birthday Uncle Ben died. It was a mugging, they had said, but Peter couldn’t listen to their platitudes and well wishes. For the first time, he didn’t think of his soultsum. He didn’t even care that his fourteenth birthday would come and he would lose his chance to manifest a soultsum. All he cared about was how Aunt May’s hands trembled in his, her lips pressed in a thin line as she tried to stay strong for him. The police station was bright that night, but he had never felt more cold and alone. </p><p>He cried himself to sleep, and when he woke up the next morning, aching and heart broken, he was met with sharp eyes that bore into his. They blinked at him, the eyes a pure white rimmed with a black cat eye shape and the body an interesting webbing pattern with a bright red coloring. It had two tiny sparkly blue “arms” like all soultsums, but its lower half was nothing like he expected. His mouth dropped open when his eyes trailed over the soultsum and his gaze landed on the sparkly blue tail. It twitched at him, and that was when he finally broke out of his daze and realized that the ache wasn’t his, but rather his soultsum’s pain. </p><p>It made a strange wheezing sound and twitched one more time, a pained flop that he recognized from seeing fish stranded on dry land, and his eyes widened.</p><p>“Oh, <em>crap</em>,” Peter yelped before grabbing his tsum and rushing to the bathroom. He quickly filled the bathtub with water before gently placing his tsum in it, breathing a sigh of relief when the tight sensation around his heart finally eased. He watched in awe as his tsum sunk to the bottom, drifting lazily as if recovering, before it gained a bit more life and started swimming around curiously. </p><p>It popped its head out of the water, its tail flipping in rhythmic motions as it stared up at him. He could sense its warm affection and underneath that, a current of worry. </p><p>Peter knelt on the bathmat and placed his arms on the rim of the tub, resting his head on them as he took in his unique soultsum. He reached out a hand and slowly stroked down its round head, taking in the soft texture before lightly trailing his fingers over the cooler scales that seemed to cover its lower half. “I waited for you, you know?” </p><p>His tsum stared up at him, something indecipherable but understanding in its gaze as if to say <em>I waited for you too</em>. Peter could feel his eyes welling up with tears again. </p><p>“I needed you,” Peter choked out, his tears falling into the water, a steady stream of his sorrow. “Uncle Ben is dead.” </p><p>His tsum pressed closer against his hand, nuzzling in an obvious gesture of comfort. </p><p>“Uncle Ben won’t be coming back for us, but I have you now don’t I?” Peter carefully picked up his tsum, making sure it was comfortable before he pressed his lips to its head. “We’ll take care of each other,” Peter whispered. An answering feeling of protective warmth surrounded him, and he felt like he could breathe for the first time in years.</p><p>The police station had been bright, but his soultsum’s love had burned brighter. </p><p>Peter quirked his lips up, traced the pattern on his soultsum, and named it <em>Spidey</em>. His soultsum had flipped its tail in joy at his declaration, its eyes squinted into happy slits. From that day on, they were inseparable; two halves of the same whole. Spidey and Peter. </p><p>xxxxxx</p><p>Peter crumpled the job application papers in his hands, body tense and a weariness settling even deeper into his skin for every job he was rejected from. He knew that his credentials weren’t that good. He was still a college student and he didn’t have the time to join research projects that would help buff up his resume. </p><p>His stomach grumbled and he was reminded, yet again, why he had to try anyways. He was running out of money, and his scholarship could only cover so much of his school fees. Sure, it meant he could go to school without worrying about tuition, but he still had to pay rent and buy groceries. His Aunt, bless her heart, had asked if he wanted to stay with her while going to school, but the commute had eaten up too much of his time. </p><p>So here he was on his own in the great big New York City, trying to make his way through one of the most prestigious schools and not starve in the process. It wasn’t a good situation to be in, but those were the cards he was dealt in life so he was going to suck it up and figure out a way to make money or die trying. </p><p>As if sensing his distress, he could hear his soultsum swimming around a bit more frantically. He reached a hand back to pat reassuringly against his special backpack. No matter how many years it has been, he still wasn’t used to the shocked looks he got because of his soultsum. When he was younger he thought that it was normal, that there were a variety of tsums of different shapes and sizes, but they were just rare and that’s why he’d never seen them. Turns out he’d been wrong. </p><p>His tsum was a mertsum;something that baffled almost all the doctors Aunt May had taken him to. Typically a soultsum had the same generic pill shaped body, and no-one could tell him why his soultsum had turned out like that. It was concerning at first, but when they realized it didn’t negatively affect his health, his aunt had accepted his soultsum without question. </p><p>The difficult part was figuring out ways to carry Spidey with him. Like all soultsums, they could not leave each other’s side for long, and distance could cause overwhelming pain to both of them. Luckily, Peter was a genius and he had altered one of those cat backpacks into a waterproof one that he promptly dumped water into so his mertsum could chill in it when he went outside of his apartment. </p><p>Within his worn-down apartment, Spidey had a fairly comfortable tank to stay in. Despite his lack of funds, the aquarium he had set up for his mertsum spanned almost the entire living room. Sure, that didn’t mean much because the space was startlingly small, but it was the contents of the aquarium that counted. He’d decorated it with all sorts of live water plants and cool rocks he’d found. </p><p>The left side had some driftwood and rocks interspersed with flowing green sea grass. The bottom was coated with sand (that Peter totally did not steal from a beach) as well as some shells. Pretty flowers, both fake and real, presented spots of color in the otherwise green, grey and brown world Spidey lived in. On the far right was more driftwood leaning against Spidey’s coral cove. It was a bunch of rocks stacked in a way that allowed Spidey a sort of private cavern. The outside of it was covered in colorful coral, most of them stuck to the rock. </p><p>Peter had wanted Spidey to have some friends at least, so the aquarium also had small shrimps, snails, and some marimo balls. The floating lotus pads on the surface of the water- with soothing pink flowers- completed the picture, and created something of a haven for Spidey. It was certainly a better living space than Peter’s own apartment, which lacked decorations of any kind and was just dismal in general. </p><p>Spidey had given him more than one admonishing look at how much Peter spoiled it but didn’t put that same effort into taking care of himself. Peter knew it was worried about him, but he cared more for his tsum’s comfort than his own. </p><p>His apartment was thankfully small enough that he could leave Spidey in the aquarium and move around the rooms without anything but the slightest discomfort tugging at his heart. He still tried to do most of his work in the living room though, reluctant to stray too far from Spidey. He also had a smaller glass case with water that he would leave Spidey in when it was time for bed. It was on his bedside table, and that way they could still be near each other as they slept. </p><p>When it came to the outside world, the modified cat backpack had been a stroke of genius as it allowed Spidey to watch everything, while sticking close to Peter. He’d always felt bad that Spidey couldn’t have the freedom to move around as much because it was dependent on water. </p><p>Peter pressed a hand to the backpack, body twisted slightly as he contemplated making a pit stop to check on Spidey, when his body suddenly crashed into what felt like a brick wall.</p><p>He felt what seemed like an entire bottle of water splash onto his pants, right over his crotch. Distantly, he registered Spidey’s annoyed panic at being jostled, but mostly he was too busy looking at his soaked pants and then over to the very built man carrying what seemed to be… a purse full of water? </p><p>He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to think too hard on how the job applications he’d spent hours working on were now soaked and limp in his hands. Collateral damage that pained him more than his wet crotch did. </p><p>“Existence is a burden,” Peter muttered in his usual dramatic way before glancing over to the asshole who had run into him (though he knew it was mostly his fault for not looking where he was going). </p><p>“Amen, baby boy. I mean have you seen my ugly mug? Wait, don’t look you might actually throw up and then you’ll be even wetter than you already are. Not that you don’t look amazing wet, I’m sure getting you wet would be a treat-” </p><p>Peter blinked up at the man, taking in his scarred face and the bright blue eyes that were just this side of manic. </p><p>“What, and I mean this in the nicest way, the <em>fuck</em> are you talking about?” </p><p>The man cocked his head before trailing his eyes down Peter’s likely very pathetic looking form. When their eyes met again, there was a smirk on the man’s face. “I’m saying that I got you wet and I should take responsibility for that. I’m a gentleman after all. Never did leave a partner wanting,” He stuck an equally scarred hand out, and Peter stared at it in an uncomprehending manner, headache getting worse just from this man’s rambling. “The name’s Wade Wilson. We can go back to mine and I’ll get you out of those clothes. In a non-sexy way of course, I’m a third date kind of lady. Unless you <em>want</em> it to be sexy then by all means, don’t let me stop you.” </p><p>Wade waggled his eyebrows at him (which was weird because he didn’t have any), and Peter felt his very thin patience snap. He opened his mouth, about to rip this strange man a new one, when a splash interrupted him. He thought it was Spidey at first, but no, his tsum had been suspiciously still since this interaction started, as if it was listening closely to what was happening. </p><p>Another splash, and a few droplets of water hit his once-dry t-shirt. He glanced down at it and then turned his eyes to the source of all his problems. There, in the gaudy unicorn shaped purse, was two happily squinting eyes beaming up at him. Its head was a red similar to Spidey’s and it was balancing itself on the edge of the purse using two tiny black “arms”. It did a flip, its black and red patterned tail flashing in the daylight before it poked its head back out as if wanting to see Peter’s reaction to it showing off. </p><p>“What,” Peter breathed out, disbelief and hope warring in him. “Is that?” </p><p>Wade stilled, and for the first time since they started talking Peter got a distinct sense of <em>danger</em> from the man, a threatening aura that filled the air around them. People seemed to sense it, and a lot of them gave the two a wide berth where they had stopped on the sidewalk.  </p><p>“You got a problem with Pool? He may not look like much, but he’s the best soultsum a fucked up soul like me can ask for so I’d appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself.” </p><p>“No, I-” Peter swallowed, taking in the defensive hunch of Wade’s shoulders, something he recognized from all the times he met someone new and had to explain Spidey to them. Had to tell them that no, his tsum wasn’t a freak and that Spidey was just as loving a soultsum as any other. It sparked a feeling of understanding in Peter. This was the first person he’d met that had a mertsum like him. The only one, in fact, and he’d scoured the internet for any mention of the existence of mertsums. </p><p>“I get it,” Peter finally said, a smile breaking across his face as he let out a laugh. </p><p>“You really don’t honey,” Wade grit out before he shrugged, forcing himself to relax as he glanced to the side and rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “Look, let’s not make this harder than it has to be. I can just pay for you to get your clothes dry cleaned or we can work this out another way-” </p><p>Wade cut off when Peter grabbed his hand and dragged him into a nearby alley.</p><p>“Woah, we just met and this is going too fast for my poor maiden heart. Is this a spontaneous make-out session or are you dragging me out here to murder me in cold blood? I’ll let you know that only one of those have any chance of succeeding and it is <em>not</em> the murder one.” </p><p>Peter let out a huff, rolling his eyes as he finally came to a stop and started taking off his backpack. “Do you ever shut up?” </p><p>“I do when there’s something in my mouth, so if you’re offering…” Wade waggled his non-existent brows at him and Peter let out a put-upon sigh before showing him the backpack with its cat window. </p><p>Wade opened his mouth, no doubt about to continue his inane rambling, when he abruptly clicked his mouth shut. Peter knew it was because he’d seen Spidey, and he could feel Spidey’s curiosity and then subsequent fascination as it took in Wade’s face and the mertsum in his purse. </p><p>Peter carefully pried his backpack out of Wade’s fingers, the man almost reluctant to let go as his eyes darted from Spidey to Pool, as if in a trance. </p><p>Peter smiled, relieved that he wasn’t the only one shocked at this development. “I’m just like you, Wade.” </p><p>“Be still my heart,” Wade murmured, his frozen expression slowly loosening to one of awe as he clutched his purse closer to his chest. “Pool, isn’t this just the darndest thing? Spill some old purse water onto a twink and suddenly we’re soulmates? Who would’ve thunk it.” </p><p>That was very much not a real word but Peter chose to ignore all of that as he pulled out his phone and handed it to Wade. </p><p>“Give me your number.” </p><p>“Wow, this is just so forward. One moment I think I’m about to suck your dick in an alleyway and now we’re exchanging numbers, you really shouldn’t have.” Wade fluttered his lashes at him but followed the request anyways, fingers flying across the touch screen. “Now you can booty call me anytime, babe.” </p><p>“My name’s Peter,” He responded absently, checking his phone and frowning at the ‘Wadey-poo &lt;3’ contact he now had.</p><p>“Whatever you say, sweet cheeks. And not that I don’t want your banging booty on my contact list, but was there a reason for that? Do your pants secretly cost ten million dollars and you’re going to hunt me down? Are you part of the X-men? I swear I didn’t steal that plane, it was just conveniently in my front yard.” </p><p>“You ask too many questions.” Peter scowled up at Wade before softening and biting at his bottom lip, eyes darting down to the side as he folded his arms to his chest, hugging the backpack close. “Spidey has me but because it needs water to live, it doesn’t get the same physical contact that other soultsums get to have. Spidey doesn’t get to make friends, and even if it does, it can’t play with them. I was hoping maybe we could arrange some playdates for Pool and Spidey. See where it goes, and if it works out they can have each other at least.” </p><p>When Wade stayed silent, Peter peeked up at him from under his lashes, taking in the stunned look on his face, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. </p><p>“Unless, you don’t want to…? Oh sorry, shit I should’ve asked your soultsum,” Peter leaned down, making sure that Spidey and Pool could see each other as he spoke. “Hey Pool, my name’s Peter and this here is Spidey. I’m sure you’re in need of a friend just as much as Spidey is, and I was wondering if you would like to hang out with Spidey and see if you guys get along?” </p><p>Pool stared up at him, eyes just as wide as its human. Its eyes seemed to be sparkling with something like awe and love, a bit starstruck as it focused its gaze on Spidey. Spidey for its part was sending furtive glances at Pool, sometimes darting behind the edges of the cat window so that it couldn’t be seen before peeking out and sending a squinted look at Pool. Peter could sense its reluctant yearning, and knew that Spidey had problems trusting newcomers, but hopefully it could warm up to Pool with time. </p><p>“So how about it?” Peter addressed the question to Wade this time, and that seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he’d fallen into. </p><p>“I know, he’s fucking perfect,” Wade whispered, the words clear to Peter even as he knew the man was directing it at his soultsum. Wade straightened up, clearing his throat in what seemed to be a nervous gesture before sticking his hand out. “If you want to be friends with this ugly mug then by all means.” </p><p>Peter grabbed his hands, taking in the sensation of scars sliding over his smooth skin with a small amount of fascination. “That’s a rude thing to say about your soultsum.”</p><p>Wade stuttered, trying to clarify as he gripped Peter’s hand hard. “No! I meant me, not Pool.” </p><p>Peter raised a brow at him before leading Wade out of the alley, never letting go of his hand. “Well I think that’s for me to judge, and you’re not that bad to look at.” </p><p>“Really?” Wade whispered, and it was so quiet that Peter almost didn’t catch it. He threw a glance over his shoulder, eyes crinkling at the edges as he grinned. </p><p>“Yeah, your eyes are beautiful.” </p><p>Wade stayed suspiciously silent after that, but he never let go of Peter’s hand. </p><p>xxxxxx</p><p>After that, it was like they couldn’t get enough of each other. Whenever Peter had any down time, he would call Wade up and they would hang out in Peter’s apartment, order takeout, and watch silly TV shows. </p><p>Spidey and Pool would be in Spidey’s aquarium doing whatever it was that mertsums do. Peter was never too concerned because after the first few days where Spidey was a line of tension in his heart, the mertsum had slowly warmed up to Pool. </p><p>It took a lot of work from their human counterparts, and it was those interactions that drew Wade and Peter closer together. </p><p>Spidey seemed to find Pool to be an annoyance, and would often hide in the coral cave hole that it used as a resting spot whenever Pool was placed into the aquarium with it. Peter had seen Spidey purposefully flick its tail at Pool, pushing it away every time the mertsum crept closer, more times than he could count. It worried him, but all they could do was monitor the mertsum’s interactions and hope it would get better.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Pool for his own part never did give up, and Peter had to give him props for that. Though it wasn’t surprising given that this was Wade’s soul. After all, that man was one of the most stubborn and persistent people he’d ever met. </p><p>It was one such day, both of them sat on a couch and eating some takeout, watching Pool slowly inch towards Spidey’s corner, that Peter spoke up. </p><p>“Why did you name your soultsum Pool? I mean mine is obvious, spiderweb patterning made me think of spiders. But yours doesn’t make sense.” </p><p>Pool must have heard them because it rushed toward the side of the glass, slapping its tail on the glass in an insistent manner as if to demand Wade tell Peter the story. Wade, on the other hand, seemed almost embarrassed as he cleared his throat and set down his food. </p><p>“Well, you know how our soultsums are mer-related.” </p><p>Peter nodded, not so subtly reassuring Wade as he placed a hand on Wade’s while he continued eating with his other hand. </p><p>“I may have… freaked out when my soultsum appeared.” </p><p>“Freaked out how?” Peter asked warily, because if there was one thing that he’d learned about Wade, it was that the man was just a little bit crazy. </p><p>Wade ran his free hand down his face before peeking at Peter between his fingers. He mumbled something and Peter had to lean in closer to hear. </p><p>“What was that?” </p><p>“I said,” Wade repeated a little louder, a pout on his lips. “When Pool manifested I had no idea it needed water and then it almost died from being so dried up. I freaked out and threw it into the first body of water I could find which was my neighbor’s backyard pool.” </p><p>“You <em>what</em>?” Peter burst out into peals of laughter, a hand flying to his mouth. “Wade, what the fuck, why didn’t you just put it in the sink or something?” </p><p>“I don’t know? The pool seemed like a larger target. Less chance of missing if I chucked my tsum into it.” Wade whined, shoving a mouthful of noodles into his mouth in an attempt to distract from the flush on his face.</p><p>“Wade, that’s so dumb. I’m surprised Pool isn’t traumatized by it. And oh god,” Peter smacked his hand against his forehead at the realization, a groan falling out of him as he took a deep breath, a reluctant smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “You named it after its near death experience?” </p><p>“I was originally gonna call it Deadpool because it almost died in a pool but I thought that might have been too morbid for such a cute little thing.” </p><p>Peter just laughed harder. Pool for its part was clearly huffing and indignant, flipping around in circles. Even Spidey had surfaced out of his coral hole to see what was happening. When Pool noticed that Spidey had poked its head out, it immediately swam over to it with an excited wiggle. </p><p>Spidey quickly tucked itself back into the hole and turned its back to Pool in a clear gesture of dismissal. Pool slowed down before it reached Spidey and drifted listlessly for a moment before slumping over and swimming until it was sat on top of the coral roof. It perched there, poking its head under the roof once in a while to see if Spidey had turned around yet, only to be disappointed that the other mertsum was steadfastly ignoring it. </p><p>Witnessing the whole display, Peter’s mirth was much more subdued. He could feel Spidey’s embarrassment at showing some interest in Pool’s origin story, and also some frustration directed at itself. Peter knew that it wasn’t Pool’s fault Spidey was ignoring it. Spidey just had a hard time making friends because it had never had the chance to before, and it seemed to be afraid that if it tried it would mess everything up. </p><p>Peter could relate to that, and he glanced over at Wade, only to quickly avert his eyes with a flush when he noticed Wade had been staring at him with a soft smile on his face. </p><p>He cleared his throat and made a gesture at the glass tank, desperate for a topic change. “Do you think we should do something about that?” </p><p>“Nah,” Wade shrugged, digging back into his food. “They’ll sort themselves out. Pool won’t be ignored for long. He has a habit of getting under people’s nerves and straight to their hearts like a particularly effective poison.” </p><p>“Like you,” Peter murmured, a helpless smile on his face as Wade picked up some of the meat he knew Peter liked and dropped it onto his plate. </p><p>“What was that?” </p><p>“Nothing,” Peter said, a bit louder as he pulled out his laptop. “Let’s just continue where we left off.” </p><p>“Oh man I can’t wait, the next episode is the best one. I think this is the one where Blanche and Dorothy call Rose a slut.” </p><p>“Your obsession with Golden Girls is concerning.” Peter bit back the urge to melt into Wade’s touch when he felt the larger man sneakily drape an arm over his shoulder and pull him in for cuddles. Wade did not have a subtle bone in his body. “But I see your point.” </p><p>“A man after my own heart,” Wade gasped dramatically before slapping Peter’s laptop in excitement. “Now hurry up! Golden Girls waits for no one.” </p><p>xxxxxx</p><p>Peter didn’t know what Wade did for a living, but the man had ludicrous amounts of money. When he’d realized Peter had next to nothing in his apartment and fridge, Wade had quickly rectified that by getting him furniture and making sure his fridge was always stocked. Every time Wade took care of him, it made something warm grow in his heart where thus far he’d only had Spidey’s familiar, glowing bond. </p><p>It was a foreign feeling, one of safety and security that he rarely felt. Not since Uncle Ben died. </p><p>Still, Wade was a good person, and Peter would be blind to ignore how handsome he was too. Wade had self-confidence lower than the Mariana Trench, but slowly but surely, with Peter’s constant gentle coaxing, Wade had become a larger than life presence that relished in teasing Peter. He tried not to let it get to him. After all, Wade flirted like he breathed. It didn’t mean anything, even if Peter desperately wanted it to. Peter had to remind himself almost constantly these days that he was doing this for Spidey. He couldn’t risk making a move and losing Wade’s friendship because Spidey would also lose Pool and he would never do that to his soultsum. </p><p>Pool had made some progress over the past several weeks, and Wade and Peter had silently been cheering it on. It was incredibly endearing, seeing the mertsum try so hard but also respect Spidey’s boundaries. </p><p>Mostly, Pool just stared balefully from its corner of the tank and crept closer at certain intervals. It always tried to drag one of the prettier tank flowers with it when it did. They weren’t sure why, but maybe it was to make its approach more palatable for Spidey. Or maybe it was so Pool could “hide” behind the plant so Spidey wouldn’t notice it getting closer, like some bizarre sort of camouflage. </p><p>Some days, it wouldn’t approach. Instead, Pool would do some elaborate flips and dances, its tail flashing in the light as it tried to get Spidey to pay attention to it. Spidey would send it brief glances and then turn its back on Pool, but Peter could feel its awe, and it was definitely impressed by Pool’s sweet moves.</p><p>Today, Pool had gotten closer than most. It was dragging a pretty orange aquarium flower with it, nudging it closer to Spidey as it slowly made its way across the tank. It was almost halfway across the tank and Spidey hadn’t darted for the coral hole yet. Peter knew Spidey was well aware of Pool’s approach. He could feel his mertsum’s nervousness as if it was his own, and it made him cuddle closer to Wade. They both kept an eye on their mertsums more than the show playing on the laptop. </p><p>Pool crept a bit closer, and now it was maybe two feet away from where Spidey was pretending to be distracted by a marimo ball Peter had given to it years ago. The green, mossy ball was Spidey’s ‘friend’ and Peter had seen it bat around the marimo more than once in a playful manner. It had hurt his heart then, because Peter knew it was pretending that the marimo ball was playing with it. </p><p>Now, Spidey was listlessly pushing the ball around the bottom of the tank, allowing it to float up naturally before batting it back down. </p><p>Pool crept a bit closer, the orange flower hiding most of its body as it pushed.</p><p>Wade tensed against him and Peter knew he had sensed Pool’s emotions because within one second and the next, Pool swam towards Spidey with an excited and impatient burst of energy. This startled Spidey enough that it immediately darted for the coral hole, even going so far as to drag the marimo ball with it so that the ball covered most of the entrance and Pool couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Spidey. </p><p>Pool’s sadness must have been overwhelming because Wade let out a small whimper. Peter patted Wade’s arm in a consoling manner, wincing at the self-hatred that Spidey felt over darting off like that. He knew Spidey had wanted today to be the day it played with Pool, but it had swam off like a jerk. Or at least, that’s how Spidey felt.</p><p>Peter sighed and stood up, reaching a hand in to give Pool a reassuring stroke before lifting it out and placing it in Wade’s purse. Pool didn’t even protest the move, limp in Peter’s hands, and that was how he knew that Pool really was heartbroken over this. </p><p>“I’m sorry Wade, I promise it’s not Pool. Spidey is just…” Peter trailed off, lips pressed into a thin line as Wade gave him a half-hearted smile. </p><p>“It’s alright Petey, we can’t rush these things. I’ll just take Pool home so it can rest and we can try again later.” </p><p>“Yeah,” Peter reached up and pulled Wade down, giving him a peck on the cheek before immediately flushing red once he realized what he had done. “H-have a safe trip. Text me once you’re home.” </p><p>“Okay,” Wade replied, dazed and almost stumbling over the couch as he backed away. “Yeah I’ll do that, I’ll do whatever you want- I mean, shit- fuck, um, good night!” </p><p>With a squeak and a slam of the door, Wade was gone. Peter pressed a hand to his face, letting out a muffled groan before he glanced over to the aquarium and took in Spidey’s sad droopy eyes. </p><p>“We’re both so bad at this, aren’t we?” </p><p>xxxxxx</p><p>It was an unassuming day. Just another out of many where they laid on the couch together and watched something inane, when they both gasped at a sudden burst of warmth in their hearts. More than a little bewildered, Peter pressed a hand to his chest before looking at the aquarium. </p><p>He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at first, but no, there Spidey was looking extremely proud of itself as it snuggled with Pool in the coral hole. Pool was so happy its eyes were just thin slits of squinty joy, its body wiggling constantly as if it couldn’t get enough of being this close to Spidey. Peter blinked, and there were tears of joy in his eyes, overwhelmed by the blinding happiness and contentment his soultsum felt. </p><p>He looked at Wade and the man was clearly experiencing the same thing, eyes wide and wet with tears. </p><p>“Can you feel that?” Wade whispered, voice hoarse. </p><p>“…that’s a soul bond.” Peter closed his eyes tight, trying to reorient himself. “Our soultsums weren’t just playing. Pool was <em>courting</em> Spidey, oh my god.”</p><p>“A soul bond,” Wade repeated, dumbfounded. </p><p>Peter knew what a soul bond was. Everyone did. When soultsums were particularly compatible, they could form bonds with each other and thus bind their humans together as well. It was an incredibly rare phenomenon and romantics liked to say it was similar to finding a soulmate. </p><p>Peter had never put much weight into those claims, so sure that with a soultsum as unique as his, he’d never be able to find a friend for Spidey, much less a mate. But this feeling in his chest was unmistakable and Peter couldn’t believe he’d been so blind. </p><p>After all, soultsums were a reflection of their souls. Usually a couple got together first, and then their soultsums formed a bond naturally from the close feelings their human counterparts shared. But of course Wade and Peter were so dense they did this whole thing backwards. A soul bond wasn’t possible if all parties didn’t feel the same way which meant that Wade had to love him just as much as Peter did. </p><p>He glanced over at Wade, afraid to see what he would find there, and his heart fell when he caught the horror in Wade’s expression. He quickly wiped it off his face, a blank one that Peter hated taking its place. </p><p>“Peter, I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t agree to this, and even if we’ve been hanging out for months you wouldn’t want to be bonded with a fuckface like mine. Seriously, I look like an overripe avocado and being friends with me is one thing, but I can’t expect you to tolerate me for life. I’m sure there’s some way to break the bond, if you want.” Despite how hard Wade was trying to keep calm, Peter could hear the clear pain in his voice as he suggested breaking the bond. </p><p>Instead of agreeing immediately like what Wade seemed to expect, Peter shook his head and pushed Wade until he was laid out on the couch on his back. He then unceremoniously plopped himself on Wade’s lap and rested his crossed arms on Wade’s broad chest. Wade had always been much larger than him, and it wasn’t more apparent then now, pressed head to toe together. His toes barely touched Wade mid-shin, and he was so broad that when Peter hugged him sometimes, he felt like he couldn’t fit all of that muscle in his arms. </p><p>He liked the way they fit together, both physically and in his heart. The soul bond was a comfort to him, it filled up the lonely places in his heart he’d always thought would bleed forever. Sure he tried to patch it up with the occasional fling or the longer friendships he maintained, but it was never enough. Now, he felt complete. As if something missing had slotted into the broken pieces of him. </p><p>“No.” </p><p>“No?” Wade questioned, hands slow and hesitant as he wrapped them around Peter and pressed gently against his back. “No, as in you don’t want the bond?” </p><p>“No, as in I’ve been in love with you for a while now and I’d like to keep the bond,” Peter paused, reluctance in his words as he offered. “Unless you want to break it, of course. I wouldn’t blame you. I have nothing to offer you.” </p><p>Peter let out a yelp when suddenly their positions were flipped, Wade’s strength apparent in the effortless way he’d moved Peter. Wade was looming above Peter now, holding his body up with two arms that bulged against the hoodie Wade wore. Peter wanted to focus on Wade’s face, but damn were those muscles distracting. As Wade had once told him with a smirk (the first time Peter gave in and touched his broad, muscled chest with a flimsy excuse) ‘it’s free real estate, baby’ and boy did Peter want to take out a mortgage on that fine piece of land. </p><p>“Fuck no, Petey pie. If you’re willing, then I’m keeping you forever. No take-backs and no refunds, I’m shredding the receipt. You don’t need to offer me anything but yourself. That’s all I want.” </p><p>Peter breathed out a sigh of relief before wrapping a hand around one of those tempting arms and used the other to pull Wade down until their lips were close to touching. “Good because I wasn’t going to let you go without a fight.” </p><p>Any response Wade may have given was cut off by a firm press of lips, a kiss made difficult by the fact that they couldn’t stop smiling. They pulled back enough to look at each other, taking in the other’s features and relishing in the welcome development in their thus far unconventional relationship. </p><p>A splash interrupted their staring, and they both glanced over to shoot an exasperated look at their mertsums. Spidey and Pool were excitedly darting around, doing a weird dance that involved twirling together then separating and then darting out of the water in an arc that Peter had seen dolphins do. </p><p>Peter couldn’t help the laugh he let out, feeling his soultsum’s joy mix with his own. “We better stop them before they get the living room wet.” </p><p>“That’s not the only thing that’ll be wet tonight, baby boy.” Wade leered down at Peter, and he let out a bark of laughter before pushing at Wade’s absurdly beefy arms so he could get up. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah. I know you love getting me wet.” </p><p>“Best meet-cute ever,” Wade muttered. </p><p>“I’ll pretend I know what that means. Now help me get them to settle down or we’re gonna get wet and not in the fun way.” </p><p>“Yes, dear.” </p><p>Peter smiled, tangling his fingers with Wade’s scarred ones. The soul bond glowed bright and warm against their chest, and they both knew they would never be alone again. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you guys enjoyed that! As you can probably see I'm making this into a mini sort of series so any questions you may have will be answered there :) There are at least 2 fics I plan to add. One will include the fallout of Peter discovering what Wade does for a living and will also have Peter becoming Spiderman. More will be explained on soultsums and why Peter and Wade have unique ones in those later one shots. K-Nyne and I pretty much fleshed out a lot of the world building. The second fic I have in mind will be in Spidey and Pool's POV and their feelings about the whole experience from friendship to soul bond! </p><p>But alas, those will likely come much later so please follow the series! The next thing on my agenda is the next chapter of 'Your Hand in Mine' (so for those of you waiting thank you for being so patient). Afterwards, if you'd like to see more of this soultsum au please do let me know and I can bump it up on my priority list. </p><p>Thank you kindly for reading, and please leave a comment before you go! It really helps me gauge what readers like and whether or not you'd be interested in more &lt;3 Every time I post something weird I'm like do ya'll love it or hate it??? xD Either way I had a lot of fun writing this silly thing and I hope that means you guys liked it too!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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